Peak AA 5 RED LED brass light

[BentHeadTX]

Received my Peak LED Solutions 5 red LED AA brass flashlight yesturday and have some thoughts. It included a note that noted my military address so they threw in some heat shrink to take the edge off it was too shiny! My review revolves around my requirements for use in "blackout" conditions.

The first thing I noticed was the heft of brass, it has considerable weight for it's size. Picked it up and it is larger than my Arc AA because of the screw on tail loop. I like the larger size as it fits my hand much better. The head is easily gripped with the 16 flats milled on the sides. It will not roll if placed on a flat surface. The head is slightly larger than the body so no lawsuits.

After twisting Arcs for months, I was not prepared for the brass Peak--easy to turn on and it fells silky as the self-lubricating properties of brass make is smoooth to turn on. I removed the included alkaline and slapped in a used lithium AA I had laying around. Yes, I blinded myself.

The very bright beam has some serious throw and a strong bright spot. The only red light I have to compare it to is an Arc AAA with red LED... not exactly fair. It will throw out to around 30+ feet with usuable light at that distance. The beam is a little ringy but shows no sign that it has 5 LEDs, they are round rings. It the pitch dark it borders on almost too bright and that leads to my point to get this light. Light pollution

The Arc AAA with red LED is great for slowly walking around in blackout conditions, really nice light. The problem is I will have full moons and light leakage to deal with during my night walks to the showers. The Peak has the fire power to keep illuminating the path with that "light pollution".

To test it, I went to a large room with desks, chairs, benches, shelves and various things spread around on a gray floor. Turned off all the lights but there was light leakage under the multitude of doors so I could see if I walked very, very slowly in the darkness. The Arc AAA was not bright enough to overcome the light pollution so I pulled out the Peak. I then had no problems, I was briskly walking through all the furniture and could easily see when speed walking at 5+MPH (8KPH) It was nice to have a light do exactly what I wanted it to, perform in blackout and "grayout" conditions.

After running around in a warehouse, through offices etc I noted the head was warm. Found a fish tank and cooled it off and tested waterproofness (it passed). I then took the tail ring off and engraved my name on the top of threaded post (stealth identification) Pointed the light straight up and let it run for 30 minutes and checked the heat. I would say it was around 100F sitting in the 78F temps. The brass head would seem to sink away the heat well.

I did not smack it with a pipe or run it over with a truck, I am a wuss when it comes to brass. Very classy light with three bands of knurling that have the right amount of grip without being too grabby. Using brass might seem to be rather odd, it does give that silky feel when turning the head. The extra heft of the brass will help me figure out what light is what in pure darkness. For now, it and the Arc AAA red live next to each other on my lanyard. I have been wearing them around my neck for two hours and it does not bother me.

In summary, the Peak LED Solutions brass AA 5 red LED light is perfect for "blackout" and "grayout" conditions. I will be giving a briefing on "stuff to bring" to a few dozen folks heading across the pond. The handout will have the Arc AAA, Infinity Ultra and Peak LED Solutions website links. They have 7 weeks to ponder what they will get, all I know is they can't borrow mine.
Good job Peak!

 

[paulr]

If the idea of blackout conditions is to not be noticed, a bright red light is quite a bit more conspicuous than a dim red light. I'd say if there's enough moonlight to walk around with bumping into things, then don't use a light at all. Otherwise, use the dimmest red light that makes just enough light to see by. A dimmable light (e.g. Rigel Skylite) may be the best bet. A 5 led light doesn't sound like the right approach.

Also, if the light has a boost converter, I'd check it for RF emissions.

 

[BentHeadTX]

paulr,
That is very true, the Arc AAA is for dim lighting purposes. The problem is walking between semi-lit areas and dark areas. The Arc will light the dark areas OK until some lighter areas wash it out. The other problem is vehicles, their headlights blow out the Arc AAA red and it will be hard to see me.
The Peak will take care of those problems. With the variable lighting conditions, the Peak will give me enough light to see easily no matter the conditions. If a vehicle gets close, I will flash them with the Peak (easily seen) they can get out of the way. The main thing is to point the flashlight at an angle downwards so it's source will not be seen from points a mile out (medics are generally towards the center of bases) Both red lights will be on a lanyard so they will be angled down to take care of that requirement.
The base I will be residing is very large (thousands of folks) that CT Scan unit I will be maintaining puts out quite a bit of RF (amongst other things) all that comm gear blasts out RFI/EMI and microwaves so my Arcs/Peak/BB500's should not be a problem.
My point with the peak was to pick up a "grayout" light that has some punch. Basically, an red LED Inova X-5 that runs on a single AA battery. Once that thing fires up, you can forget about night vision. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif It is basically a 5 red LED version of those anglehead lights with a red filter (most commonly used light in those conditions)
I will feel safer with the Peak hanging off a lanyard angled down than a GI anglehead pointing straight out with a filter. It is impossible to hide a base that spans miles across with tents, vehicles, planes, choppers, thousands of people running around and thousands of flashlights burning. The odds of injuring myself with power cables, ruts, holes, ditches, ropes, stakes, power boxes, snakes, weapons and gear laying on the ground in the dark are much higher than getting hit by a sniper (or mortar) from 5 miles away.
The place I work has a giant red cross on a white background (aim here!) Those ambulances are very reflective so I prefer them to be the target, not me.
One of our biggest producers of patients is people fumbling around in the dark and tripping over guy wires. Their Inova coin cell red keychain lights don't work that well. Those things are easily seen since the LED is sticking out at the end and angling it down does not help much. I can see them but they have problems seeing were they are going.
When I was fumbling around in the dark last year, I used my BB500 Luxeon 1.5 watt Luxeon LED minimag with a filter. Had no problems seeing were I was going but feel that the Peak would be better than that high powered red torch.
The point of blackout conditions on larger bases is not to be noticed. It is very obvious were are there, it is not to stick out. Our opposition tends to aim at high intensity lights as that is were the action tends to be. The special forces guys loved my Luxeon light with red filter, that was fine. The idiot that brought a Surefire was told not to ever turn his E2e on again.
If you were a person with a mortar, would you fire it at a 5 red LED flashlight or a high intensity one?

 

[paulr]

Frankly I thought if someone was going to shoot at lights I was carrying, I'd rather use NVG's than any kind of light.

As for being seen in headlights, how about some reflective stuff on your clothes?

I just don't understand the notion of needing a 5 led flashlight to walk around in areas where a 1 led flashlight gets washed out by ambient light. I'd have thought that if there's enough ambient light to wash out a 1 led flashlight, there's enough ambient light to walk around without additional lighting. Obviously I'm missing something but I'm not the guy that's out there.

Note that red Luxeons are available and are very efficient (more efficient than white Luxeons in fact). So maybe making up a custom BB500 or DB500 with a red Luxeon makes more sense than using a white-led BB500 with a red filter.

 

[NewBie]

paulr,

Really easy way to dim the Peak 7 LED, put your finger over a portion of them. Yeah, doesn't help runtime at all, but it's really a brain dead solution to the thick headed folk.


The stray light occludes your vision, since the back ground is lit slightly but not enough to see by, raising the black level there. Then you shine your flashlight on a guy wire or whatever, and the wire lights to the same level. So instead of having bright red on black, you have bright red on grey.

To illustrate the point take a look at the following image from 10 to 20 feet away on your monitor, depending on your eyesight:

Now take a look with some added background light from the flashlight:

The other effect is from stray light actually shinning into your eyes, making it harder to see, think glare.

Then also consider your pupil shrinking as the light goes up, in response to this ambient light, making the light on the ground seem darker. You then need a brighter flashlight.

Also don't forget, navigating and seeing in red light isn't the simplest of tasks, it is quite different from white, or even green light.

One of the key things that helps your eyeball see things is contrast. It can be a difference in brightness, and/or a difference in color (think color constrast).

The next item that you eye/mind keys in on is movement, and I for one, have more difficulty seeing movement under red light, more so than white/blue/green. I also have difficulty judging distances accurately under red light, and first noticed it when I was a teenager working in darkrooms processing films.

But like everything else, your mind accomodates to things over time, and I learned to compensate.

 

[BentHeadTX]

paul,
I am just trying to prepare for my lighting needs in advance. Last year, I was at three camps in Iraq and think about what lights I need for the next time. The first place was very, very small and was pitch black. It was dark, rainy and the plane landed with no lights. We were there to grab a convoy the next morning so the NVG guys hearded us into a tent. I had a purple LED keychain light and it was fine.
Our small hospital was at a small Army Special Forces camp, we were in the center of the camp and the NVG guys were patrolling a few miles out in all directions. It is wild seeing a hummer flying along at 40MPH in the moonlight with no lights. Those silent black motorcycles would sneak up on you for a good laugh, I would love to have those NVGs but at $3,000 a pop...let the guys that sneak around have those. Medics don't really have a reason to have them but I checked out a pair, amazing!
Went in a convoy (I was in the ambulance) we stopped off in Kirkuk to fly out. The base I am going to reminds me of Kirkuk so I want to handle the strange situations that I delt with there. There were areas that were pitch black, other areas had lights (flightlines etc) and the large hospital was more gray. There was patches of dark and light so I used a red filtered Luxeon minimag to consistently see around the holes, ruts, guy lines, ropes, power cables, sand bags and bunkers as I walked around the unfamiliar place.
As NewBie stated, the eyes have problems compensating to the constantly changing light conditions and brighter light is needed. The Peak will give me enough light to see in darkness with my thumb over all the LEDs (say in a dark tent not to wake up anyone) My lanyard that I use for blackout has the Arc AAA red and Peak 5 LED red hanging on it so I can handle all situations.
Wake up, grab the lanyard and dim down the Arc AAA red with my finger to get out of the tent without disturbing anyone. Get outside and evaluate the light conditions, if I can get away with the Arc red, I will continue to use it. During sleeping hours, the Arc should do it.
I will be there September--January so there will be many hours of darkness when people will not be sleeping. This will add to the "light pollution" and things to trip over. My location will not be in sniper or mortar range be we are in blackout so not to blow out the guys with NVGs. Most of the time at the place I was located last year, we used white lights to see. Go out of that zone and we went back to red.
The ultimate light would be an adjustable output red Luxeon coupled with an adjustable white Luxeon. Since that light is being designed in the land of unobtanium, I will bring and Arc AAA red, Peak 5 LED red, Arc AAA/AA white, BB500 R2H white, Anglelux, 2D Mag with Madmax+ pushing an R2H and parts to build the last light. The last light will be a 2D Mag with two 4AA to D adapters loaded with NiMH AA batteries. nFlex adjustable output board pushing a WX1S 5 watt Luxeon. I will build it in Iraq for an interesting momento.
As a member of CPF, I am supposed to bring at least 10 flashlights with me.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif Upon my return, I will post how all my differnt lights worked for my situation. Right now, I am guesstimating what I will need. The Peak 5 LED red AA will take care of "grayout" lighting needs for those long, dark winter months.
When I get back, there is no reason I would need a high output red LED light as a flashlight. The Peak will then live out it's life as a bright red tail light for my recumbent bicycle. A red flasher and 5 red LEDs burning steady should really tip off the drivers that I am there.

 

[Aloft]

[ QUOTE ]
Upon my return, I will post how all my differnt lights worked for my situation. Right now, I am guesstimating what I will need. The Peak 5 LED red AA will take care of "grayout" lighting needs for those long, dark winter months.
When I get back, there is no reason I would need a high output red LED light as a flashlight. The Peak will then live out it's life as a bright red tail light for my recumbent bicycle. A red flasher and 5 red LEDs burning steady should really tip off the drivers that I am there.

[/ QUOTE ]

BentHeadTX. . . please do post how your lights worked in various conditions. . . I'm always interested in how LED lights perform for "navigation".

I'm riding a Vision R40, but would probably like to eventually get a Bachetti or other "high racer". . . what are you on?

Oh, and one more thing. . . although I'm out of the service now, I'd like to thank you for your continuing dedication in the service of our country. . .so THANK YOU, and good luck.

Rich Leitner

 

[BentHeadTX]

Aloft,
Well, last year I used a Streamlight Batonlight (unreliable), and a minimag BB500 Luxeon light with NX-05 optics and red filter. I had to swap in the red filter for about 30% of the time but it worked well.
The 5W Cyan 5D Mag with 30mm optics was banned for being too bright. My other light was a mini-LGI and it would suck out all the power of the three AAA batteries. The mini-LGI was a loaner light after the Batonlite crapped out.
The recumbent I ride is a 1998 HPVelotechnik Street Machine fully suspended short wheelbase bent with Ubar USS steering and 700C/20(406) wheels. It works well for on and off road use and is very comfortable as well as being durable. It was designed for touring in third world countries and after doing the Oklahoma Freewheel week long ride...their design works. The cross-state ride is 400 miles of roads and I rode around at night so it came out to 470 miles for the week.
Bachetta came out with their high racers for us to test ride. I rode a dual 650 and dual 26" versions. They were faster than my bent but also more uncomfortable with weak caliper brakes and unstable handling at low speeds. I will keep my HPVelotechnik, it is a keeper.
Thank you for wishing me good luck, I can use all the help I can get. At least I have the lighting part covered. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[NewBie]

Like this?

 

[Aloft]

BentHeadTX. . . thanks for the light rundown, it will be interesting to hear how your new "torches" perform. Yes, Bachetta's are not yet available with disc brakes, a dealbreaker for me. . . but there's a possibility in the future, I hope. I've not ridden an HP yet, so I will have to do a little scouting. My R40 was one of the cheapest of SWB bikes when I got one for me and one for my wife, but suspension is also in the cards for my next one. . . you really feel the bumps without it.
Just got my first ARC's. I got both the AAA Premium and the AA. They really are things of beauty, I'll probably be ordering some more. . . bright enough for navigation, not too bright to wake up the neighborhood. And the Triple A is incredibly compact. I might just call a couple of them "official flight gear", deduct it from my taxes and feel more secure about my EDC's!
But I'm eyeing the Peaks too. . . I like to be able to have RED lights. Better in the cockpit, and still bright enough for finding my way around. Thanks again for the report.

 

[BentHeadTX]

Newbie,
Sort of like that, those pix are the Street Machine GT which uses 26/20 wheels. The Street Machine (HPVelo calls it the Street Machine Classic now) it uses 700C/20 (622/406) and the frame is slightly different.
The differences are basic: the Classic uses the larger 700C wheel so it jacks the rearend up and drops the front boom down. That way it uses a straight boom. When HPVelo dropped to the 26" wheel, they had to bend the boom to compensate for the smaller wheel. Mine also has tubes that attach from the back of the frame tube and run beside the shock to triangulate the frame. The GT uses wide plates that sort of do the same thing.
I would say HPVelotechnik built the Street Machine correctly the first time and has refined it over the years. My brakes are Cane Creek Curve2 linear pull and the other parts I have upgraded to the type of riding I do.

Aloft,
The high racers are interesting but they all have fatal flaws in my book. They all use caliper brakes and, like you...that is a deal breaker for me. The Bachetta type racers use (as Rans calls them) stick frames and that bothers me. Then Rans makes the Force 5 with a great triangualted frame... and crappy caliper brakes with those 650C wheels.
If you want a more custom build with linear pull or disk brakes (or dual 26" or dual 700C) get a Reynolds... that is the one I would get if I was looking for one. Oh yeah, the Reynolds has the Ubar USS steering (look at the pic above) I absolutely HATE the stretched out steering of the Bachettas... I prefer the relaxed position with the Ubars.
The thing I really, really, really like about the Peaks is customization for your needs. N, AAA, AA or CR123a batteries... want 1,3,5 or 7 LEDs with that? What do you want it made out of, aluminum, brass or stainless steel? Want a removable tail loop for a lanyard or make it shorter for your pocket?
Make mine a Luxeon at 160mA with a brass head in a stainless body... AAA battery please with the removable tail. That light would pry my Arc AAA-P off my keychain. For now...
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

 

[Roy]

Lets keep these reviews to flashlights!